Aerial delivery container



April 1944. w. L. LINDSEY ET AL 2,345,609

AERIAL DELIVERY CONTAINER Filed April 8. 1942 2 Sheets-Sliet 1 #144 4 n4 4 L/A/ass H/wae v /4 so/v April 1944' w. 1... LINDSEY ETAL 2,345,609

AERIAL DELIVERY CONTAINER Filed April 8, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ava EA/TOES 1144.404 4 LIA/08E Y hzP/ev me.

Patented Apr. 4, 194

AERIAL DELIVERY CONTAINER William L.'Lindsey and Harry Wilson, 7 H

Fort Benning, Ga.

' Application April 8, 1942, Serial Nb. 438,101

2 Claims. (01. 211-) Y (Granted under the act of March 3,"j l883, 1928;"370 0- G.

amended April 30,

The invention described herein may be =manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to containers for delivering more or less fragile articles, such as rifles, machine guns, etc., by dropping them from an aircraft by parachute, and is particularly concerned with a container which may be opened and the articles removed in a minimum of time after landing.

An object of the invention is to provide a container of this type which is relatively light in weight but rigid and strong when packed and ready to be dropped.

Another object is to so construct and arrange the several parts of the device that the releasing of a single quick opening fastener will allow the entire container to assume a wide open configuration.

Other objects and advantages will become evident as the description proceeds, reference being made to the drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is an assembled view of the container when packed and closed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the closed container.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the top open and laid back.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the container when the single fastener has been undone and the container has assumed its wide open configuration.

Fig. 5 shows a slight modification in the form of fastener which holds the container closed.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, eight relatively light weight plywood panels Ill are held together by bands of heavy webbing, the parts I2 of the bands, at the juncture between the panels, serving to hlngedly join the several panels together. The panels have their longitudinally extending edges beveled to approximately twenty two and one-half degrees as required for an octagon enclosure. The bands of webbing are for the most part covered by separate strips M of sheet metal which reinforce the panels transversely, yet leave the joints l2 between the several panels flexible. Reinforcing bars l6 of heavier wood than the panels extend the full length of the panels midway of their width, each panel having such a bar secured thereto as a part thereof.

Hinged to opposite ends of one of the panels In by metal hinges !3 are the octagonal end covers 20, each cover comprising a relatively thick which are permanently fastened to the panels. Blocks 24 havenotches 26 of .propersize to freely receive the ends of the bars-15;: Sheet metal ree inforcing bands 28 extend around the periphery of the boards 22 and are permanently secured thereto, the blocks 24 being so located with reference to the bands 28 as to leave a groove 30 of a size to freely receive the ends of the panels I 0.

Obviously when the eight panels are brought around to an octagonal shape, the end covers 20 may be closed down over them, the ends of the panels I0 extending into the groove 30, whereby each panel is held at the ends against both inward and outward movement. As long, therefore, as the covers 20 are held closed by any means, the panels must maintain their octagonal configuration.

As a means for holding the covers 20 in a closed position, a pair of straps 32, Figs. 1 and 4, of cotton webbing are secured at one end to the reinforcing bands 28 by a small reinforcing plate 3|, the free ends of the straps being provided with the parts of a quick opening fastener 34. As an alternative holding means for the covers 20 the metal straps 33 are preferably hinged at 35 to small plates 31 on the bands 28, the free ends being provided with a hasp and staple connection 39, the slots 38 in the straps fitting freely over the staple 40, and a spring snap 42 being provided for insertion into the staple over the straps. The staple 40 is fastened to one of the panels In.

Carried on one side by ears on the plate 3| or 31', and on the opposite side by the pin of the hinge iii, are two D rings 44 to which the risers of a parachute are secured by snap fasteners. Since the parachute pack employed in connection with the container is conventional, it is not shown in the drawings.

In preparing the herein disclosed apparatus for use, the container is preferably laid out in the fully open configuration shown in Fig. 4. The articles to be delivered may then be wrapped in suitable padding and laid on the panels Ill. The panels are then brought around the articles until the free edges of the two outside panels touch, whereupon the octagonal ends 20 are raised on their hinges t8 and brought up until the ends of the bars l6 and the ends of the panels Ill are entered respectively into the notches 26 and groove 30. The fastening means 34 or 39 is now applied and the container is ready to hav the parachute pack secured to the top with its risers hooked into the rings.

It is obvious that the container described may octagonal board 22 reinforced by eight blocks 24 be easily and quickly opened upon delivery, since and described a structure embodying this principle, we claim:

1. A quick opening aerial delivery .container which comprises a plurality of side members each said panel, straps secured to the edges of the caps opposite the said hinges, and a quick openin fastening means connecting the free ends of said straps together.

2. A quick opening aerial delivery container which comprises a plurality of side panels placed edge to edge and hingedly joined at the edges by a flexible fabric, so that they may either be laid out flat or have the two free edges brought tomade up of a relatively thin panel with a reinv forcing bar extending lengthwise of said panel and secured thereto, means along the longitudinal edges of said panels for hingedly connecting them together so that they may either be laid out flat or v have the two free edges brought together to form a hollow right prism, polygonal end-caps having a peripheral groove to receive the ends of the panels with notches to; receive the ends of the reinforcing bars, hinges near the ends of one of the panels for joining one edge of each cap to the ends of gether to form a hollow right prism, a reinforcing bar longitudinally disposed on each panel, end caps having a groove around their peripheries for receiving the ends of the side panels, and notches for receiving the ends of the reinforcing bars, hinge means near the ends of one of the panels for joining one edge of each cap to the ends of said panel, straps secured to the edges of the caps opposite said hinge means, and quick opening fastening means for connecting the free ends of said straps.

WILLIAM L. LINDSEY. HARRY WILSON. 

